Methods and systems for pharmacy location

• US 8,706,522 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2011
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc. (The Cigna Group)
• Original Assignee: Express Scripts Incorporated (The Cigna Group)
• Inventors: Cohan, Kevin C., Shutko, Alan T., Wilcox, Gary S., Cole, Elizabeth T.
• Primary Examiner(s): PAULS, JOHN A
• Application Number:
  US13/221,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20130054258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

Methods and systems for pharmacy location are described. In one embodiment, a plurality of pharmacy network associations of a member is determined. The pharmacy network associations are associated with a drug benefit plan of the member. A pharmacy within a pharmacy network association of the plurality of pharmacy network associations is capable of fulfilling a prescription for a prescription drug. A location associated with the member is accessed. A display is generated based on the determination of the pharmacy network associations and the location of the member. The display includes a first indicator and a second indicator. A first network pharmacy of a first pharmacy network association is associated with the first indicator on the display. A second network pharmacy of a second pharmacy network association is associated with the second indicator on the display. Additional methods and systems are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying, on a processor, a client associated with a member, the client providing a drug benefit plan under which the member receives a prescription drug benefit;

determining, on the processor, a plurality of pharmacy network associations available to the member based on the drug benefit plan of the member, a first pharmacy network association of the plurality of pharmacy network associations including a plurality of first network pharmacies having a first contractually obligated discounted rate on prescription drugs, a second pharmacy network association of the plurality of pharmacy network associations including a plurality of second network pharmacies having a second contractually obligated discounted rate on prescription drugs, the second discounted rate on prescription drugs being a lesser discounted rate than the first discounted rate on prescription drugs, a pharmacy within the first pharmacy network association or the second pharmacy network association being capable of fulfilling a prescription for a prescription drug;

accessing a location associated with the member;

identifying, on the processor, a first network pharmacy of the first pharmacy network association offering the first discounted rate on prescription drugs based on the location associated with the member;

identifying, on the processor, a second network pharmacy of the second pharmacy network association offering the second discounted rate on prescription drugs based on the location associated with the member; and

generating, on the processor, a display based on the identification of the first network pharmacy and the second network pharmacy and the location of the member, the display including a map representing a geographic area based on the location associated with the member, a first color indicator, and a second color indicator,

wherein the first network pharmacy is geographically represented on the map with the first color indicator, and the second network pharmacy is geographically represented on the map with the second color indicator, the first indicator being a different color than the second indicator.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the drug benefit plan associated with the member,

wherein the determination of the plurality of pharmacy network associations available to the member is based on the determination of the drug benefit plan associated with the member.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the location comprises:

receiving identification of the location associated with the member.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the location comprises:

determining the location of the member.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the processor is deployed within a mobile electronic device and determining the location comprises:

accessing location information associated with the mobile electronic device to determine the location of the member.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving pharmacy data, the pharmacy data including location data regarding the plurality of pharmacy network associations,

wherein generation of the display is based on at least a part of the pharmacy data, the identification of the first network pharmacy and the second network pharmacy, and the location of the member.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

transmitting a pharmacy network association request, the pharmacy network association request based on the plurality of pharmacy network associations,

wherein receipt of the pharmacy data is in response to transmission of the pharmacy network association request.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

transmitting a pharmacy network association request, the pharmacy network association request based on the identification of the first network pharmacy and the second network pharmacy and the location of the member,

wherein receipt of the pharmacy data is in response to transmission of the pharmacy network association request.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first pharmacy network is a preferred pharmacy network of the plurality of pharmacy network associations and the second pharmacy network is an non-preferred pharmacy network of the pharmacy network associations.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing a pharmacy network display criterion,

wherein generation of the display is based on the pharmacy network display criterion, the identification of the first network pharmacy and the second network pharmacy, and the location of the member.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the pharmacy network display criterion includes identification of a plurality of pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) preferred pharmacies, a plurality of PBM non-preferred pharmacies, a PBM preferred pharmacy organization, a PBM non-preferred pharmacy organization, or combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the pharmacy network display criterion includes identification of a plurality of client preferred pharmacies, a plurality of client non-preferred pharmacies, a client preferred pharmacy organization, a client non-preferred pharmacy organization, or combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the pharmacy network display criterion includes a distance rule, the distance rule defining a pharmacy existence guarantee between the location and the first network pharmacy.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the display further includes a current locator indicator.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the display includes a pharmacy list, the pharmacy list includes the first color indicator and the second color indicator, further comprising:

generating the pharmacy list based on the location of the member,

wherein generation of the display is based on generation of the pharmacy list.

16. A method comprising:

identifying, on a processor, a client associated with a member, the client providing a drug benefit plan under which the member receives a prescription drug benefit;

receiving, on the processor, identification of a plurality of pharmacy network associations available to the member based on the drug benefit plan of the member, a first pharmacy network association of the plurality of pharmacy network associations including a plurality of first network pharmacies having a first contractually obligated discounted rate on prescription drugs, a second pharmacy network association of the plurality of pharmacy network associations including a plurality of second network pharmacies having a second contractually obligated discounted rate on prescription drugs, the second discounted rate on prescription drugs being a lesser discounted rate than the first discounted rate on prescription drugs, a pharmacy within the first pharmacy network association or the second pharmacy network association being capable of fulfill a prescription for a prescription drug;

determining a location of the member;

identifying, on the processor, a first network pharmacy of the first pharmacy network association offering the first discounted rate on prescription drugs based on the location associated with the member;

identifying, on the processor, a second network pharmacy of the second pharmacy network association offering the second discounted rate on prescription drugs based on the location associated with the member; and

generating, on the processor, a display based on receipt of the identification of the first network pharmacy and the second network pharmacy and the location of the member, the display including a map representing a geographic area based on the location associated with the member, a first color indicator and a second color indicator,

wherein the first network pharmacy is geographically represented on the map with the first color indicator, and the second network pharmacy is geographically represented on the map with the second color indicator, the first indicator being a different color than the second indicator.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

transmitting a pharmacy network association identification request to a network manager device,

wherein receipt of the identification of the first network pharmacy and the second network pharmacy is in response to transmission of the pharmacy network association identification request.

18. A method comprising:

identifying, on a processor, a client associated with a member, the client providing a drug benefit plan under which the member receives a prescription drug benefit;

determining, on the processor, a plurality of pharmacy network associations available to the member based on the drug benefit plan of the member, a first pharmacy network association of the plurality of pharmacy network associations including a plurality of first network pharmacies having a first contractually obligated discounted rate on prescription drugs, a second pharmacy network association of the plurality of pharmacy network associations including a plurality of second network pharmacies having a second contractually obligated discounted rate on prescription drugs, the second discounted rate on prescription drugs being a lesser discounted rate than the first discounted rate on prescription drugs, a pharmacy within the first pharmacy network association or the second pharmacy network association being capable of fulfilling a prescription for a prescription drug;

accessing a location of the member;

identifying, on the processor, a first network pharmacy of the first pharmacy network association offering the first discounted rate on prescription drugs based on the location associated with the member;

identifying, on the processor, a second network pharmacy of the second pharmacy network association offering the second discounted rate on prescription drugs based on the location associated with the member;

accessing, on the processor, a pharmacy network display criterion;

generating, on the processor, a pharmacy list based on the location of the member; and

generating, on the processor, a display including a map representing a geographic area based on the location associated with the member, a first color indicator, and a second color indicator and the pharmacy list based on identification of the first network pharmacy and the second network pharmacy and the location of the member, the pharmacy list including the first network pharmacy and the second network pharmacy

wherein the first network pharmacy is geographically represented on the map and indicated on the pharmacy list with the first color indicator, and the second network pharmacy is geographically represented on the map and indicated on the pharmacy list with the second color indicator, the first indicator being a different color than the second indicator.

19. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the following operations:

identify a client associated with a member, the client providing a drug benefit plan under which the member receives a prescription drug benefit;

determine a plurality of pharmacy network associations available to the member based on the drug benefit plan of the member, a first pharmacy network association of the plurality of pharmacy network associations including a plurality of first network pharmacies having a first contractually obligated discounted rate on prescription drugs, a second pharmacy network association of the plurality of pharmacy network associations including a plurality of second network pharmacies having a second contractually obligated discounted rate on prescription drugs, the second discounted rate on prescription drugs being a lesser discounted rate than the first discounted rate on prescription drugs, a pharmacy within the first pharmacy network association or the second pharmacy network association being capable of fulfilling a prescription for a prescription drug;

access a location associated with the member;

identify a first network pharmacy of the first pharmacy network association offering the first discounted rate on prescription drugs based on the location associated with the member;

identify a second network pharmacy of the second pharmacy network association offering the second discounted rate on prescription drugs based on the location associated with the member; and

generate a display based on the identification of the first network pharmacy and the second network pharmacy and the location of the member, the display including a map representing a geographic area based on the location associated with the member, a first color indicator, and a second color indicator,

wherein the first network pharmacy is geographically represented on the map with the first color indicator, and the second network pharmacy is geographically represented on the map with the second color indicator, the first indicator being a different color than the second indicator.

20. A system comprising:

a processor and a memory coupled to the processor;

a network association module deployed in the memory and executed by the processor to identify a client associated with a member, the client providing a drug benefit plan under which the member receives a prescription drug benefit and determine a plurality of pharmacy network associations available to the member based on the drug benefit plan of the member, a first pharmacy network association of the plurality of pharmacy network associations including a plurality of first network pharmacies having a first contractually obligated discounted rate on prescription drugs, a second pharmacy network association of the plurality of pharmacy network associations including a plurality of second network pharmacies having a second contractually obligated discounted rate on prescription drugs, the second discounted rate on prescription drugs being a lesser discounted rate than the first discounted rate on prescription drugs, a pharmacy within the first pharmacy network association or the second pharmacy network association being capable of fulfilling a prescription for a prescription drug;

a location module deployed in the member and executed by the processor to access a location associated with the member;

the pharmacy data module identifies a first network pharmacy of the first pharmacy network association offering the first discounted rate on prescription drugs based on the location associated with the member and a second network pharmacy of the second pharmacy network association offering the second discounted rate on prescription drugs based on the location associated with the member; and

a display generation module deployed in the member and executed by the processor to generate a display based on the identification of the first network pharmacy and the second network pharmacy and the location of the member, the display including a map representing a geographic area based on the location associated with the member, a first color indicator, and a second color indicator,

wherein the first network pharmacy is geographically represented on the map with the first color indicator, and the second network pharmacy is geographically represented on the map with the second color indicator, the first indicator being a different color than the second indicator.